Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Alien Temple (1)
"...Your four forces?"
Rudian's expression immediately became sour.
"More than 10,000 years have passed—do you think your four forces would still be around?"
—Cr, cough! My subordinates were all famous for their high loyalty even in the demon realm! Of course, they wouldn't betray me!
"Right, they were so loyal that they were probably all wiped out while you were sealed. Whether by Baal or whoever else."
—.......
Diablo's spirit immediately became dejected.
—Still, there's a possibility that Orobas or Gremory survived! Those guys are quick-witted and have good initiative, so they might have avoided disaster!
"Right, if they're quick-witted and have good initiative, they probably quickly surrendered to Baal to survive."
—.......
Only then did Diablo sink into depression.
Looking at the unusually dejected Diablo with pitying eyes...like hell, Rudian looked at reality and muttered quietly.
"Expecting 10,000 years of loyalty from demons is unreasonable. Weren't you Seven Seats always trying to stab each other in the back every single day?"
—...I can't deny that, which is frustrating.
Well, even if they remained, they would likely be barely maintaining their existence like Leviathan.
In any case.
"For now, Adi's proposal is quite plausible. Even if we have to deal with those dragon old-timers throwing a fit later."
—Hehe! Thank you, Master!
Adi raised his tentacles like a nose bridge and proudly raised his voice.
'Then the first thing I need to do is...'
The things that needed to be done ahead were naturally decided.
The problem was getting the closest approximation of when the aliens would invade.
Only by knowing that could he determine how much time he could spend in this Hall of Heroes.
'The sure way is to ask Yev...but as a backup plan, I have no choice but to find someone with future prediction abilities?'
Actually, the more certain method would be to go directly to the aliens and ask, but...
As soon as that thought occurred to him, Rudian immediately shook his head vigorously.
'That's crazy. It's practically throwing my life away...'
It would be like visiting the so-called 'higher-ups' and asking about the 'lower ones'' plans. It seems ridiculous, but the possibility isn't zero.
In fact, if successful, it could have the dual effect of gaining information and obtaining massive Outer Force.
'...Should I do it?'
He had executed many reckless plans so far, but those were only possible because there were calculations involved.
But this time, it was pure gambling.
No matter how much the Hall of Heroes had a time ratio of one month per day, it wasn't a very good option for Rudian now that fire had fallen on his feet.
'Above all... I want to confirm.'
Whether 'she' really knows about this current 'situation.'
After pondering for a while, Rudian finally made his decision.
"Yev."
As soon as he called Yev's name into the air, Yev, who had been waiting outside, appeared, cutting through space.
"You called?"
"Yeah, I have a favor to ask."
"......?"
Though Yev had been suppressing her personality and rarely showed expression changes until now, the words that immediately followed from Rudian caused a tremendous change.
"Take me to Shub's temple."
Yev, immediately dumbfounded, glared at Rudian and questioned back.
"...Are you insane?"
"I'm perfectly sane."
Shub, the God of Chaos.
The supreme god who governs the near-infinite alien realm.
If Yev is a noble of the alien realm, then Shub could be called the king of the alien realm.
In the original , she appears only once, but the described status is no less than that of Berus of Light, who is the greatest among the Seven Great Gods of Heaven.
"Human."
Before long, Yev had released her personality restrictions and opened her mouth.
Even though karmic constraints would be triggered, doing this meant that Rudian's statement was too reckless.
"Do you want to die so badly?"
"No."
"That being is not someone you can meet just because you want to, and you would burst from your body not being able to withstand it just from approaching her temple. Even if that eye protects you...it's impossible."
Yev rarely dissuaded Rudian.
"You won't even be able to reincarnate and will become a specter of the temple, suffering for eternity."
In fact, Shub's temple is the place the protagonist party visits only near the end of Chapter 4 to obtain the last of the seven-colored worlds, the violet world.
Naturally, the protagonist and party's power at that time had reached godlike levels, so they could endure in Shub's temple, but...
"Take me there."
"......"
"It's not to obtain the violet world. It's simply to ask one question."
Shub, the alien god, spends near-eternal time only in her own temple.
Therefore, she's always suffering from terrible boredom, so she shows quite a kind attitude to visitors who come.
...Of course, only if they can withstand her divinity that envelops the entire temple to be recognized as visitors.
"And...if it's her, I'm thinking she might know."
The reason Kim Seong-jun became Rudian and fell into this world.
Now that he couldn't meet the Creator God, if it was Shub, the next greatest god, perhaps she could know that reason—this desperate hope.
That was exactly why Rudian mentioned Shub's temple while merely bringing up the 'timing of alien invasion.'
Yev stared at Rudian for a while, then finally let out a big sigh.
"You seem to have made a half-hearted resolution..."
"Maybe so."
"Hah, who knows. With that strange fate flowing through you, that being might take a liking to you."
"...Strange fate?"
When Rudian reacted to the words he couldn't miss, Yev hastily waved her hands and turned her body.
"Come back in one day. Prepare your mind during that time."
SWOOSH!
With those words, Yev disappeared.
***
'One day...'
After Yev disappeared, Rudian roughly concluded his meeting with Calesta and Kirchrus.
"Even if you have such thoughts, I will continue trying to persuade my kinsmen."
"It's useless, Lord Calesta. Their stubbornness hasn't changed over the past thousands of years. Even 3,000 years ago when we had the best opportunity...and 800 years ago as well."
"Still, I can't just sit idle. Even if I guide them to the conclusion that activating the ark is impossible, fighting the fate that's coming is a separate matter. If I don't keep persuading them, they might lose all motivation before we even begin the great undertaking."
"Hmph, do as you please."
Kirchrus shrugged and made a gesture of surrender.
After most of the discussions ended, Calesta disappeared, saying he wanted to take time to examine the changed world.
"What will you do, Lord Rudian?"
"I'd like to see my companions for a while."
"...? Very well."
Kirchrus felt puzzled by Rudian's expression, as if he had made some great resolution, but that doubt didn't last long.
***
The first person Rudian checked was Luciella.
"Hahahaha!"
What must have been an ordinary training space for Luciella had somehow transformed into a sea of fire no less than Calesta's mental space.
"Still far off, still far off!"
And in the center, there was Luciella struggling while holding a burning sword of fire.
"Stronger! Burn your inner emotions!"
Even at Yugria's appearance, laughing madly as if she had become a different person, Luciella calmly aimed her sword, as if she was used to it.
'...Soul flame.'
The driving force that allowed the God-slayer Yugria to destroy divinity with a human body.
It was a special power that only Yugria possessed, structurally different from ordinary natural energy.
"Good! At this level, I think it's okay to raise the firepower a bit more!"
'It seems to be progressing well.'
Yugria also seemed to recognize Luciella's talent and was burning with motivation, teaching her wholeheartedly.
Seeing that there were no major problems, Rudian headed to the next target, Elvin.
"You damned Erop bastard!"
"Oh, with that statement just now, you're scheduled to die painfully about five times."
'...What are they doing?'
Unlike the previous two who showed an ideal and warm master-disciple relationship, Aelop and Elvin were fighting as if they were mortal enemies meeting on a narrow bridge.
Elvin, whose whole body had become like a hedgehog and was dying, rushed at Aelop with a furious expression.
...And was struck by the bow that Aelop was holding and died gloriously.
'If things go as expected, Elvin should use the yellow world for me, but I wonder if he can reach that level here?'
Looking at the situation, it seemed like Aelop was beating up Elvin without holding back...
Aelop grinned toward the back of Elvin's head as he was going through the resurrection process.
"Still, you've improved a lot. Before, you died with ten arrows, but now you survive even with twenty arrows stuck in you."
'...Is that considered a lot of improvement?'
He roughly guessed how the situation was unfolding.
Seeing that Elvin mentioned 'Erop,' he was probably deliberately provoking Aelop to train like actual combat.
'It's the right answer. Aelop is the incarnation of laziness and whim, a troublemaker that even Yugria barely controlled.'
Even now, the name Aelop Rizan is passed down as a legend among elves.
Of course, in a bad way...
"Oh, you're alive?"
"Damn bastard, this time I'll really tear off your ears and eat them!"
"Hahahaha! Try it if you want!"
...He was curious about what had happened to make that Elvin foam at the mouth and hurl profanities.
But when a heavy black energy formed on Elvin's sword right after, his previous thoughts completely vanished.
'Oh?'
A crystallization of psionic energy different from ordinary aura.
"Die, Erop!"
The moment he uttered those words, another arrow pierced Elvin's shoulder, but...anyway, the training between the two seemed to be flowing smoothly.
Rudian finally checked on Gray and Rebecca once each before leaving the Hall of Heroes.
Gray, training fiercely under Giovanni's guidance, already seemed to be on the verge of 8th class.
Rebecca, who had been the only concern, was also steadily removing the label of 'villager' while learning how to control her blood and various combat techniques.
'Everyone's doing well.'
One worry was that they all seemed to have set their goals quite high...
He worried whether they could finish all their training within the 10 years, or 100 days, that he had subtly hinted at before parting.
'No, let me believe. What I need to do is set up all the groundwork until my companions finish their training and come out.'
And so one day passed...
"Ready?"
Exactly one day later, Yev appeared before Rudian with a stern expression.
"Yes."
"I can't take responsibility. I made that clear."
Even at Yev's final ultimatum, Rudian's will didn't waver.
"Hah...!"
Finally, Yev, who let out a long sigh, created a massive spatial movement gate leading to the alien realm.
"Come."
Following Yev, Rudian moved toward 'Shub's Temple.'
And the moment he felt he had stepped into a strange space filled entirely with purple light.
'Huh?'
CRACKLE!
Rudian's consciousness went dark.